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A traditional Dutch windmill overlooks vibrant rows of blooming tulip fields in the Netherlands under a bright blue sky.
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Netherlands

Beauty in Bloom: A Cycle & Barge Adventure in the Netherlands

Program No. 24933RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
All itineraries and excursions are subject to change. Weather and water conditions may affect the progress of the ship, and we may miss ports if it is not safe to dock. The operators reserve the right to change the content and duration of excursions without prior notice and so the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Whenever possible, Road Scholar’s published daily schedule will indicate port arrival and departure times. Prior to departure, if there is a major change, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
10 days
9 nights
What's Included
Included
17 meals ( 8B, 1L, 8D )
5 expert-led lectures
15 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
The Hague
Beauty in Bloom: A Cycle & Barge Adventure in the Netherlands
Apr 28 - May 7, 2027
Program Number 24933
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Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 44 miles, under 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1/2 mile; generally flat terrain.
Morning:
Upon arrival at the airport, go through passport control, enter the baggage claim area and get your luggage. Proceed through the appropriate customs section and enter Schiphol Plaza and follow the signs to “Car Rentals.” Look for the Group Leaders with a Road Scholar sign, who will be waiting for you. As soon as everyone on the designated group transfer (for those who purchased airfare through Road Scholar) has arrived, we will board a motorcoach and ride to The Hague. Once we arrive at the hotel, you will be able to check your luggage and take a walk around the city, the historic seat of Dutch government, for some time on your own.
Lunch:
On your own in The Hague
Afternoon:
At 1:30 p.m., join your Group Leader for an excursion to the beach and a field trip to the Museum Beelden aan Zee (“Sculptures by the Sea”), The Netherlands’ only museum exclusively showcasing contemporary sculpture. Founded by collectors Lida and Theo Scholten in 1994 and designed by architect Wim Quist, the complex is tucked into the surrounding dunes of The Hague’s popular Scheveningen seaside resort district, beneath the historic 1826 Pavilion of Wied. On your visit, you’ll see works by such artists as Henry Moore, Man Ray, Karel Appel, Fritz Koenig, Igor Mitoraj, Tom Otterness and many more.

We’ll then return to the hotel for check-in. You will have time to relax until you meet your Group Leaders again before dinner for an orientation. The Group Leaders, who will be with us throughout the program, will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines and emergency procedures, and answer questions. Educational content will be provided by our knowledgeable Group Leaders and local experts. Whether cycling though scenic countryside or bustling cities, Road Scholars will gain the skills needed to navigate local traffic, interact with fellow cyclists, and stay alert for unexpected stops. The included meals onboard as well as those at local restaurants will feature local cuisine. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that program activities, schedules, personnel, and specified distances or times may be subject to change based on local conditions. Should any changes occur, we will notify you as promptly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
In the hotel
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles, under 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1 mile; flat city terrain. Embarking the barge.
Breakfast:
At the hotel
Morning:
After breakfast in the hotel, we will set off with a local expert to explore the inner city of The Hague (Den Haag). Renowned globally as the “City of Peace and Justice,” and today home to the International Court of Justice, The Hague is the political heart of The Netherlands. For centuries, it has served as the seat of the Dutch government, as well as of its Royal Court. We’ll follow this experience with a field trip to the Mauritshuis, a small but world-class museum famed for its remarkable collection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings. A docent leads the way as we marvel at iconic works by such master's as Johannes Vermeer (including his Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665), Rembrandt van Rijn (The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632), Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Frans Hals and Hans Holbein the Younger, to name just a few.
Lunch:
On your own in The Hague
Afternoon:
Following lunch, we’ll board a motorcoach to Hoorn – a historic port city and former 17th-century Dutch trading base on the IJsselmeer lake in North Holland – where we’ll glide aboard a small boat through Hoorn’s quiet, historic residential canals. Then we’ll board the barge that will be our home on the beautiful Dutch waterways for the next seven nights. Once we’re settled onboard, your Captain will review safety protocols aboard the barge and lead crew introductions. Your Group Leaders will further brief you about the week's activities, before you enjoy your first dinner onboard
Dinner:
Onboard the barge
Evening:
At leisure. Tonight, continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and enjoy a good night’s rest to prepare for our exciting first day of cycling ahead.
Activity Note
Biking 15 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths.
Breakfast:
Onboard the barge.
Morning:
Before setting off, we’ll take the time to ensure each bicycle is properly adjusted for a smooth and comfortable ride. We then begin our cycling adventure with an easy, relaxed ride from Hoorn to the famed fishing village of Volendam, renowned for its brightly colored timber houses, bustling harbor lined with old boats, and longstanding Dutch cultural traditions
Lunch:
Lunch is on your own
Afternoon:
This afternoon, we’ll bicycle to historic Haarlem – which dates to before the medieval era and was granted city status in 1245 – for a field trip to Teylers Museum, The Netherlands’ first and oldest museum, open to the public continuously since 1784. A local expert will show us how its unique collection of Dutch art, science and natural history under one roof remains relevant and inspiring today. Housed in the former home of museum founder Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, its exhibits range from fossils and minerals to scientific instruments, coins, paintings and more.
Dinner:
Onboard the barge.
Evening:
This evening, our expert local historian comes aboard the barge to present a lecture about the rich history of The Netherlands.
Activity Note
Biking 18 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths.
Breakfast:
Onboard the barge
Morning:
We’ll start our cycling day heading south along the canals. Our first destination is the Cruquius Museum, where a local expert will present the history of this former steam-powered pumping station, operational from 1850 to 1933, and the technology it employed to drain and reclaim the Haarlemmermeer, a coastal lake that threatened the North Holland cities of Haarlem, Amsterdam and Leiden with dangerous flooding in the 1840s and 1850s. Housed in one of three identical steam-pumping stations that rendered the Haarlemmermeer dry by 1852, the museum chronicles the Dutch people’s centuries-old struggle against the sea, as well as the emergence of Victorian technology and the effects of the Industrial Revolution in The Netherlands.
Lunch:
Sample Dutch cuisine for lunch today at the Cruquius Museum’s Theehuis (Tea House).
Afternoon:
Join your Group Leader for a field trip this afternoon to one of Haarlem’s cultural jewels, the Frans Hals Museum, located in an impressive building that was once an Oude Mannenhuis (“old men’s house”). The most famous painter of the 17th century “Golden Age,” when Haarlem was a prosperous and powerful center of culture and the arts, city native Frans Hals (1581-1666) specialized in portraits of individuals and groups alike, depicting people from all walks of life. Our visit introduces us to this great Dutch Master’s life and career with an up-close discovery of his work in the museum's comprehensive collections. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy free time to explore Haarlem’s charming historic center – dominated by the 14th-century Gothic St.-Bavokerk (St. Bavo Church, also known as Grote Kerk), towering over the lively Grote Markt (Market Square); inviting cafés; and beautifully preserved medieval and Renaissance-era guild and trade halls, including the Stadhuis (Town Hall) – before heading back to the barge for dinner.
Dinner:
Onboard the barge
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Biking 23 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths.
Breakfast:
Onboard the barge
Morning:
From Haarlem today, we will bike to one of the most spectacular floral attractions in Europe –Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, often called “the most beautiful spring garden in the world.” You’ll of course see flowers along the way as we cycle to Keukenhof, a 15th-century castle whose gardens were redesigned in the 19th century in the English landscape style, then reconfigured to exhibit spring-flower bulbs and opened to the public in 1950. But once we enter the park, you’ll be engulfed by the sights and scents of more than seven million blooming bulbs in springtime – covering 80 acres and featuring more than 800 varieties of tulips, as well as daffodils and hyacinths. It’s a floral (and fragrant) experience you’ll never forget!
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like at Keukenhof.
Afternoon:
We will continue our independent exploration of remarkable Keukenhof Gardens until mid-afternoon, when we’ll return by bicycle to our barge, now docked in the colorful city of Zaandam, situated to the north of Amsterdam on the River Zaan. In the 17th-century “Dutch Golden Age,” Zaandam was renowned as a center of the timber, paper and shipbuilding industries; Russia’s Tsar Peter the Great studied shipbuilding here in the 1690s, and the house he stayed in is now a museum. The city’s Zaanse Schans neighborhood features a collection of historic windmills and wooden buildings moved here from other areas in the 1960s and 70s.
Dinner:
Onboard the barge
Evening:
This evening, a local agricultural expert joins us on board for a lecture exploring agricultural policy, sustainable agriculture, and regenerative farming practices in the Netherlands.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1 mile, approximately 1.5 hours on paved terrain. Getting on/off a canal boat. No biking today. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At a local restaurant following our morning field trip.
Morning:
Today, we’ll have an early start as we travel by motorcoach to Aalsmeer in the province of North Holland, often referred to as the “flower capital of the world.” Here, we’ll visit and experience The Netherlands’ largest flower auction, where flowers and plants are sold today through a fast-paced online system, with buyers placing real-time bids from around the world – making Aalsmeer a key hub of the global flower trade. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a relaxed breakfast in a local restaurant.

Then we’ll head into Amsterdam via canal boat to explore The Netherlands’ historic capital and its storied 17th-century canals – known to the Dutch as grachten – which fan out in concentric rings through the city’s heart, which feels more like a village than the center of a cosmopolitan city. Gliding beneath curved bridges carrying cars, trams, walkers, and especially cyclists, we’ll pass a host of historic structures originating from the 17th to the 19th centuries – including the narrow former homes of merchants who stored their goods on the upper floors.

Our exploration by canal boat concludes near Amsterdam’s Museumplein complex, home to the Rijksmuseum – The Netherlands’ national museum of Dutch art and history – and the Van Gogh Museum, featuring the world’s largest collection of the works of the iconic 19th-century Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. You may wish to visit one or both of these world-famous institutions on your own, as the remainder of the morning and the entire afternoon have been set aside for your personal independent exploration, enabling you to see and do what interests you most in Amsterdam. We invite you to refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities for inspiration, and your Group Leaders will be more than happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change, depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like in Amsterdam.
Afternoon:
Free time in Amsterdam will continue into the afternoon. If you make museum reservations on your own, we suggest you schedule them for between 12 noon and 3 p.m. We will rendezvous at an announced time and place to reboard the motorcoach in Amsterdam, then drive to rejoin the barge in the late afternoon, docked in historic Alkmaar, whose roots date to the 10th century.
Dinner:
Onboard the barge
Evening:
This evening, we will join a local expert for a walking field trip though the town of Alkmaar. Home to nearly 400 registered Dutch national heritage sites – many of which line the town’s central canal, some from medieval times – Alkmaar has much to offer Road Scholars interested in Dutch culture and history. Its traditional cheese market on the Waagplein (weighing square), which has operated on Fridays between April and September according to the exacting rules of the Alkmaar Cheese Guild since 1593, is one of The Netherlands’ most popular attractions.
Activity Note
Biking 27 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths.
Breakfast:
Onboard the barge
Morning:
Today’s cycling field trip leads us through the dunes around the seaside town of Castricum and neighboring Heiloo. These dunes form part of the North Holland Dune Reserve, a nature reserve of 11,800 acres, extending from Wijk aan Zee to Schoorl. While providing a lovely cycling area, the dunes also serve as The Netherlands’ natural primary defense system against the North Sea. We’ll also walk along the beach, looking out over the North Sea and observing the fishing boats.
Lunch:
On your own at the beach.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll mount our bicycles again for an afternoon of cycling along well-maintained bike paths through North Holland’s natural wonders, including impressive dunes, forests, and heathland. As the dunes end, our route continues through flat polder countryside before following a series of scenic waterways into Alkmaar’s historic center, rich in buildings and monuments representing The Netherlands’ 17th-century “Dutch Golden Age.”
Dinner:
Onboard the barge
Evening:
This evening aboard the barge, we’ll enjoy a lecture from our instructor about the economy of The Netherlands from the “Dutch Golden Age” of the 17th century to the present day.
Activity Note
Biking 29 miles on flat terrain, primarily on dedicated paved bicycle paths and some city traffic.
Breakfast:
Onboard the barge
Morning:
This morning’s field trip has us back on our bicycles for one final time, riding though the polders and along the coastal region’s waterways and canals. Our midday destination is De Rijp, a former fishing village that’s now surrounded by polders and lakes. Once upon a time, 25 percent of the world’s herring was caught by ships originating from this village. Before lunch, a local expert will join us to share insights into the region's nautical history, the local influence of the Mennonites, and traditional wooden architecture represented by the Museum In ‘t Houten Huis – a unique 18th-century timber building that has served as an almshouse and an orphanage, now a local museum chronicling the maritime heritage of the former island of Schermereiland.
Lunch:
Lunch on your own
Afternoon:
After lunch, we leave our bicycles behind and set off aboard the barge, enjoying wonderful views of the Zaanse Schans windmills from the sun deck. As the farms and windmills of the North Holland countryside fade into the distance, amazing Amsterdam gradually emerges, her memorable cityscapes coming into view as we cruise along ever-busier waterways.
Dinner:
Onboard the barge. Share favorite experiences and enjoy the camaraderie with your new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for disembarkation and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Disembarkation by 9:00 a.m. (okay to check out earlier.) See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
Onboard the barge
Morning:
Having docked back in Amsterdam, we will disembark the barge by 9:00 a.m., but you may leave earlier for your flight home. This concludes our Road Scholar program. If you are returning home, we wish you safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!